1. Field of the Disclosure
The present disclosure relates generally to a method of processing a sound signal with an electronic device and an electronic device for the same.
2. Description of the Related Art
Conventional electronic devices, such as smart phones and tablet PCs, can be designed to be waterproof. A waterproof electronic device may have an air vent hole formed therein, and a difference in internal pressure and external pressure of the electronic device due to outside applied pressure may be eliminated through the air vent hole. Accordingly, the air vent hole helps to prevent the electronic device from being damaged by inflation or compression. Alternatively, in order to minimize the inflation or compression, a waterproof electronic device may be designed such that a part to which outside pressure is applied, such as a battery cover or liquid crystal display, is strong enough to handle the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure of the electronic device without being damaged.
When the rear surface of the electronic device is pressurized, a battery cover may be distorted (e.g., pressed), and, accordingly the electronic device may be subjected to an imbalance between internal pressure and external pressure. In order to eliminate the distortion of the battery cover, internal elements of the electronic device may be installed to have a minimum spacing therebetween. However, the battery cannot avoid distortion along a Z axis when being charged and/or discharged. Accordingly, when pressure is applied from the outside, the electronic device may be subjected to a difference between internal pressure and external pressure due to a gap inside the electronic device. Due to the difference between the internal pressure and the external pressure of the electronic device, a sensitive audio element (e.g., a speaker, a receiver, an audio output module, etc.) may not perform as designed or may be damaged. For example, when there is a gap due to discharging of the battery of the electronic device (e.g., when the battery is discharged to a level equal to or lower than 40%), an unusual or abnormal sound from the audio element may be generated if external pressure is applied to the electronic device.
Conventional electronic devices have solved the problem with audio elements through the design of an air vent hole or by compensating for the gap inside the electronic device caused by charging and/or discharging the battery. For example, the conventional electronic device has been designed to have an air vent hole formed inside a battery cover of the electronic device or that is exposed to the outside.
However, an electronic device designed to have the air vent hole exposed to the outside is not competitive in terms of design. The design that exposes the air vent hole to the outside in order to reduce the time required to balance internal pressure and external pressure of the electronic device does not match the current design trend which is toward a smooth and jointless design to outwardly conceal the hole in the electronic device. Further, the electronic device designed to have the air vent hole formed inside the battery cover has a disadvantage in that it cannot be applied to an all-in-one electronic device lacking a battery cover. In addition, when the route through which the air is discharged is lengthened due to a design in which the air vent hole is hidden from the outside, it may take a long time to balance the internal pressure with the external pressure of the electronic device. Moreover, enlarging the size of the air vent hole to enable the air inside the electronic device to be rapidly discharged imposes limitations on the design.